Electrode



Au@ 26, 19%l 3,506,308 4A.. KIRKALDY ELECTRODE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 20, 1923 50 78 El@ a A Smvwtoz Muis @Mom/wig A. KIRKALDY ELECTRODE Filed Nov. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H S11/Evento@ l @331g h s @wcm Patented ug. 26, 1924i;J

isoaios unirse sraras? PATENT orifice.

ALEXANDER KIRKALDY, BRO0KLYN,`NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO KIRKALDY EN- G rINEERING CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

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appiicaumimeii'iiveinber 2o, 192e.- seriai No. 675,871.

To all whom t may concer/n:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER KmimLDY. a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electrodes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to an electrolytic system for the protection of boilers, condensers and the like, and more particularly to the electrodes used in such a system.

The primary object of the invention is to construct an electrode of 'such parts and form, and to assemble the saine in such manner that it will be more'feflicient in its ac tion when used in anzelectrolytic system of this kind. f;. j f

Another object of .thejxinvention is to have the body or distance pieceigof kan. electrode made wholly, of .metal vwit jecting within the .boile'ro f'greater' Lcro'ss section than the ldiameter ofthe opening in the boiler, through which openingv a reduced portion of said body projects. v

Another object of theinvention is to| make the current conducting member of such form that it cannot be 'driven'fthrough the body member, outward from thel boiler, even though the major portion 'ofsaid 'current conducting member be destroyed by the action of the electrolyte.

Another object of the invention is to reduce to the minimum the'amo'unt of exposed insulation on the part of the electrode within the boiler. y j f Other and further objects, including certain kfeatures of construction and application will appear inthe specification and be pointed out in the appended claims, referp ence being had tothe accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiment 'of this invention.

In an electrolytic system is essential that the member conducting the current from the positive terminal outside the boiler shell to the anode Within lsa'id boiler, be insulated both from the boiler shell and the liquid within the boiler. Heretofore electrodes made for this purpose have had their body portions, or those portions projecting within the boiler, made of insulating material, such as porcelain or some special insulating substances, but owing to e portion-pro- @rais kind ,it-

ythe fact that these insulations `are directly exposed to the heat and water of a boiler, they have proven mechanically unsuitable for the purpose; porcelain because of its tendency to fracture under compression or by vibration and the special insulations because of their Itendency to' absorb water, swell and split and also the inability of these special insulating substances to Withstand the heat of the modern high pressure boiler. 1nA the present invention the supporting body or distance piece is made of any suitable metal and insulated from the boiler shell and the current conducting member for the anode with the minimum of exposed insulation within the boiler, thereby overcoming the undesirable features of the present electrodes and giving the maximum of efficiency at all times and under 'all conditions.

In the accompanying drawings:

-Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electrode attached to a boiler.

vFigure 2 is a central vertical section of the saine.`

Figure 3 is a partial transverse section of a standard boiler showing how the anodes are mounted Figure 4 is a partial sectional elevation of the same.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, 1 is the shell of a boiler of one form of standard construction, 2 the tubes therein, 3 and 4 the front and rear ends of the boiler, 5 the tie bolts, 6 the heating compartment and 7 the water line. v

The anode supporting means which form the essential feature of the present invention, comprises abody member or distance iece 10 of any suitable metal and p rojecting within the boiler the 'required distance to accomplish lthe -intended purpose. The outer end of this Ybody member is reduced in diameter to form a neck 11,said neck being externally threaded, as shown at 1 2. By reducing the diameter of the body 1n this manner a shoulder 11L .is made which aids in holding the body member in desired any material suitable for the purpose, but

owing to its heat resisting qualities mica is arts are. assembled.

preferably used. At the im?? 9nd Of fh? with a base 19 and preferably of the same .shoulder 11a pn the body 1C.

diameter as the bodymember 10. On the current conducting member, above the base 19, is a head 20 which lits Within the enlarged portion of the tube of insulation 14 and engages the insulated shoulder 16 of the V The base of the current conbody member. ducting member has its inner end reduced in diameter to form a threaded projection 21 for the purpose hereinafter explained..

Located on the insulating tube 14 between the body and the base of the current conducting member, are tWo packing Washers 24 and 25 having therebetween a plurality of sheets of mica 26 to insulate the base of the current conducting member from the body 10. On the threaded end of the current conducting member and engaging the outer end of theneck of the body, is a packing Washer 27 a plurality of sheets of mica 28 and a metal Washer 29. The metal Washer is engaged by a nut 30 which when tightened compresses the packing Washers between the base of the current conducting member and the body and at the same time compresses the packing Washer 27 and mica sheets 28 firmly lagainst the neck 11 of the body 10, lock nut 31 tending to hold said parts in the desired position. Within the outer end of the current conducting member is a set screw 32 which holds the positive terminal 33 firmly in contact with said current conducting member. Surrounding the unthreaded portion of the neck of-the body and adapted to engage the Wall of the opening 34 in the boiler shell, is a collar of mica 35 which serves to insulate said body from the boiler shellN Carried on the insulating collar 35 within the boiler and in contact with said boiler, is a packing Washer 36 Which is engaged by a mica ring 37 in turn engaged by a metal Washer 38, one face of which has the same contour as the inner surface of the boiler shell and the other surface flat'to abut the In similar position outside the boiler shell on the insulating collar is a packing Washer 39, a ring of mica 40 in contact with the packing Washer and a metal Washer 41 one face of which has the same contour as the outer surface ofthe boiler shell and rests against the miga ring. Threaded on the neck of the body is a nut 42 adapted to engage the fiat side of the metal Washer 41 and firmly force 1,506 aos v position, thereby ycompletely insulating the 'body 10 from the boiler shell and. making a leak proof lconnection between the body and the shell of the boiler. To positively lock these parts against possible displacement a lock nut 43 is jammed against-the nut 42. i Thus it will be seen that when the current conducting' member, the insulating tube and the body 10 are united in the manner above described they form a single unit that can be readily handled when it is desired to install them in active position Within the boiler.

In structures of this kind the current conducting member is always exposed after passing through the body member andl is therefore subJect to gradual destruction, due to the electrolytic action Within the boiler. If the base or anode supporting parts are completely destroyed down to the current conducting member serious accidents may occur because said current conducting member Will, by the pressure Within the boiler, be driven outward through the body member. To overcome this undesirable feature the present current conducting member is provided with the head `2O larger than the opening 13, said head engaging the shoulder 16 on thel body and preventing the current conducting member from being accidentally. driven through the body member, whatever may happen to the exposed portions of said current conducting member. I Y

To assemble the parts vin the manner shown in Figure 2, the current conducting member has placed thereon the tube of insulation 14 and over the tube of insulation, adjacent the base, the packing Washer 24, insulation 26 and the packing Washer 25. The current conducting member with the insulating tube thereon is then placed Within the opening 13 in the body member with the packing Washers and linsulation interposed between the. end of said body and' the base 19. Washer 27, insulation 28 and metal Washer 29 are then placed over the threaded end of the current conducting member 17 and against the outer end of the neck of the body, after which the holding nut 30 is placed in position and tightened until the 'parts arermly drawn t0- gether Where they are permanently held by the lock nut 31. The body and current conducting members, positively insulated from each other, now form a single unit ready to be installed in a boiler. Installation is accomplished by first applying the insulating collar 35 over the neck of the body and placing the metal Washer 38 against the shoulder 11, then the mica insulation and the packing'washer 36.- The neck of the body is now ready to be put through the opening in the boiler shell followed by placing the packing washer 39, the mica insulation and the metal wash er 41 in position in the order named. Nut 42 is then tightened until the parts are drawn together and firmly held against the boiler shell, after which the lock nut 43 is jammed against the nut 42.

0n the threaded projection 21 of the base of the current conducting member is placed. a nut 45 which engages the shoulder 46 on said base, and serves as an abutment for the vertical supporting bar of the anode carrying frame, said bar being held in position on the projection by a nut 47, said nut in turn being held against displacement by a lock nut 48.

1n Figures 3 and 4 is shown one of the present accepted methods of vsuspending the anodes Within one ofthe boilers of standard construction. Herein are shown four electrodes extending through and fastened to the top of the boiler in the manner hereinbefore explained, each electrode having attached to its projection 21 a dependent supporting bar 5() of the anode carrying frame. 1n order to hold the supporting bars firmly in the desired position they are tied together by transverse bars 51, as shown in Figure 3. Fastened t@ each lower transverse ibar is a short dependent bar 52 which terminates in the same plane with. the dependent bars 50. rThe anode :bars 53 are attached to the end of each of these dependent bars 50 and 52 and extend from end to end of the boiler, in the manner shown in Figure 4. 1t will be noticed that the anode bars extend below the water level in the boiler and adjacent the opening between each set of boiler tubes, in which position it has been found the best results are obtained.

In an electrolytic system for the protection of boilers, a positive low tension, direct current of low amperage and voltage is supplied from a suitable source and directly connected to the anodes, which are submerged in the boiler water. Figure 3 shows how the electrodes are connected with the positive side and the boiler `shell with the negative side of a suitable source of electrical energy, as shown at 60, but in View of the fact that the electrical equipment forms no part of the present invention it is not eemed necessary to show more than is set orth in the drawings.

By referring to the drawings it will be noticed that the supporting body member is made wholly of metal, but at all timesv and under all conditions remains neutrah due to the fact that it is insulatedy from the positive current conducting member and from the boiler shell and cannot, even though in 1 contact'with the electrolyte, conduct current back to the boiler shell, nor can a short circuit occur thro-ugh said body member.

By having the supporting body made of metal the life of the electrode supporting parts is materially lengthened, because the metal offersa definite heat resisting and moisture proof value. 1t will be observed that in the construction of the present electrode support the least possible amount of insulation is exposed within the boiler and Where exposed an insulation is used that is impervious to the heat and moisture of any make of boiler.

While I have shown the electrode as applied to a particular form of boiler, it should be understood that the same is capable of being applied to any form of boiler, condenser, tank or the like, and while 1 have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention obviously modification may be made within the spirit of the appended claims.

ll claim:

1. 1n an electrolytic system for the protection of boilers, an electrode having in combination a body member of non-insulating material to project through a boiler shell into exposed position within the boiler and insulated therefrom, and a current conducting member extending through said body member and insulated from said body member and the boiler shell.

2. In an electrolytic system for the protection of boilers, an electrode having in combination a body member of non-insulating material projecting into and insulated from a boiler,- a current conducting member extending through said body member and insulated therefrom, means for uniting the current conducting member and the body member, and means for attaching the body member to the boiler shell.

3. 1n an electrolytic system for the protection 0f boilers, an electrode having in combination a metal body member'projecting through and exposed within a boiler, the portion of said body within the boiler being larger in cross sect-ion than the portion of said body passing through the boiler shell, a current conducting member extend ing through and insulated from said body, and means for uniting said current conducting member and body member.

4. 1n an electrolytic system for the protec tion of boilers, an electrode having in come bination a metal body member projecting through and within a boiler and provided with a longitudinal opening therethrough and a recess in the inner end thereof larger than the longitudinal opening, a current conducting member extending through and insulated from said body member and provided with a head adapted to lit within the recess in said body member, means for uniting said current conducting member and body member, and means for attaching said body member to the boiler shell.

5. In an eleclrolytic system for the protection of boilers, an electrode having incombination a metallic body member, a current conducting member extending through said body member and insulated therefrom said body member being insulated from the shell of a boiler and the electrolyte therein, means for holding said current conducting member within the body member, and means for attaching said body member to the boiler shell.

6. In an electrolytic system for the protection of boilers, an electrode having in combination a metallic body member adapted to be attached t0 and boiler, a current conducting member extending through said body member and insulated therefrom, means for uniting said current conducting member and body member, and

insulated from a means on the Acurrent conducting memberl for supporting an anode Within the boiler.

7. In an electrolytic system for the protection of boilers, an electrode having in combination a metallic body member one end of which is reduced in cross section to project through the shell of a boiler, insulating material between said reduced body portion and the boiler shell, a current conducting member extending longitudinally through said body member, insulating material between said current conducting member and body member, means for uniting said body member and current conduct-ing member,- means for attaching the body member t0 the boiler shell, and means on the current conducting member for supporting an anode Within the boiler.

ALEXANDER KIRKALDY.v 

